by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — The weatherman was kind on Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 20) in the Catskill Mountains. At Monticello Raceway the temperatures not only topped the freezing mark, but hovered in the mid-40’s for the first time in two weeks and because of the “heat wave” fast times again returned to the race card.

The $15,000 Mares Preferred Pace was clocked in 1:55.4, marking the fastest time in that class since the beginning of the year. Casino Miss was the mare who stopped the teletimer after the Cam’s Card Shark 7-year-old cruised away to a four length triumph for driver Stephane Bouchard. And she did it all alone on the front end.

Racehorsephoto.com photo

Casino Miss was still strong at the finish when she won the weekly Mares Preferred Pace.

Casino Miss left the starting gate from post position five and took command as the field rounded the first turn. From there it was catch me if you can – and nobody could – as Bouchard’s pacer made every pole a winning one en route to victory.

S F Hazey, in rein to Billy “Zeke” Parker, Jr., followed the leader throughout but couldn’t stay with her in the homestretch and she had to settle for second money. Third place went to Natural Woman, driven by Ken Devaux.

“We’ve raced her on the front end in the three starts she’s had here (at Monticello) but unlike the other races where she faded (in the stretch) this time she was still strong at the finish,” Bouchard said after the victory.

Before Casino Miss returned to the Mighty M, where she had raced 24 of her 40 starts last season, she had been victorious at Yonkers Raceway in a 1:57.1 clocking on January 26.

Owned by Dean Davis and James Snyder, and trained by Mark Ford, Casino Miss paid $7.40 for win.

The second fastest mile of the afternoon was turned in by Lady Coyote when she won the $9,000 pacing co-feature in 1:56.4.

No stranger to the winner’s circle – she won 12 races here last season – Lady Coyote benefited from a patient drive by Eric Goodell, who shadowed the leader and race favorite Born Lucky (Larry Stalbaum). Lady Coyote then rallied up the passing lane and beat Born Lucky to the finish line by a full length. Blissfull Bambi garnered the show dough for driver Mike Merton.

The winner, owned by Ellen Hauser and Karen Weintraub, and trained by April Aldrich, returned an $8.20 win mutuel.